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Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program

The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program provides grants to organizations for education, mentoring, and technical assistance initiatives for beginning farmers or ranchers.
According to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service’s most recent Ag Census data, the number of young people entering farming continues to decline, but the number of new farmers and ranchers over the age of 35 rises, as does the number of smaller farms and ranches nationwide. Ensuring there will be a “new generation” of beginning farmers and ranchers—regardless of age or production choice—is especially important to the continuation of agricultural production in the United States.

General Information

Opportunities exist within farming and ranching, but beginning farmers and ranchers have unique educational, training, technical assistance, and outreach needs. Capital access, land access, and access to knowledge and information to assist in ensuring profitability and sustainability, are vital to those just entering agriculture and in their first ten years of operation.

Funding Priorities

In accordance with the authorizing legislation, priority will be given to partnerships and collaborations led by or including nongovernmental, community-based organizations and school-based agricultural educational organizations with expertise in new agricultural producer training and outreach. At least 5 percent of the funds will support programs and services that address the needs of limited resource beginning farmers or ranchers; socially disadvantaged beginning farmers or ranchers; and farm workers desiring to become farmers or ranchers. At least 5 percent of the funds will support programs and services that address the needs of veteran farmers and ranchers. The term “farmer” is used in the broadest sense and should be interpreted to include traditional agricultural farmers, ranchers, and tree farmers. As far as possible, geographical diversity will also be ensured.

Topics for programs and services, as listed in the Agricultural Act of 2014, include:

Financial and risk management training (including the acquisition and management of agricultural credit)

Natural resource management and planning

Diversification and marketing strategies

Curriculum development

Mentoring, apprenticeships, and internships

Resources and referral

Farm financial benchmarking

Assisting beginning farmers or ranchers in acquiring land from retiring farmers and ranchers

Agricultural rehabilitation and vocational training for veterans

Farm safety and awareness

Other similar subject areas of use to beginning farmers or ranchers

Eligibility

BFRDP program recipients must be a collaborative state, tribal, local, or regionally-based network or partnership of public or private entities, which may include: a State Cooperative Extension Service; a federal, state or tribal agency; a community-based and nongovernmental organization; college or university (including an institution awarding an associate’s degree) or foundation maintained by a college or university; or any other appropriate partner, as determined by the Secretary.

Types of Projects

BFRDP funds three types of projects:

Standard Projects: to new and established local and regional training, education, outreach and technical assistance initiatives that address the needs of beginning farmers and ranchers in selected areas

Curriculum and training clearinghouse: to make educational curricula and training materials available to beginning farmers and ranchers and organizations who serve them

The Awards Process

Awards will be made through a competitive grants process, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

The RFA will be posted online as soon as it's available. All applications for funding must be submitted electronically through www.Grants.gov. This process requires pre-registration which can take up to one month. We encourage all potential applicants to begin the registration process as soon as possible.

Reviewers from universities, government, community-based organizations, for-profit and non-profit organizations and from the farming community will provide peer assessment and recommend applications for funding.

Post Award Monitoring

Projects are required to acknowledge USDA-NIFA funding in all presentations, publications, news releases, etc. Projects are required to collect and submit outcome based data to USDA-NIFA through annual reports. The annual Project Directors meeting provides opportunities for networking and sharing of best practices.